The Creature Keeper - chapter 28

She applied the ointment to the wound as gently as possible, but with such a severe injury, no matter how careful she was, it still hurt her. The Mermaid frowned, turning her head away, strands of hair sticking to her damp collarbone, tracing an exquisitely sensual curve.

It hurt.

Just looking at it, you could tell she was in pain.

Tang Rou focused, meticulously applying the ointment for her.

Then she brought the torn tail together, found clean gauze, and wrapped the severed tail layer by layer. This was all she could do for now; to truly heal the Mermaid’s tail, she would have to wait until Sector S resumed normal operations.

The Jellyfish swam anxiously, its soft ribbons repeatedly striking the glass wall, trying to stop her actions.

It was as if, at this moment, Tang Rou was not treating a beautiful Mermaid, but a heinous demon.

Tang Rou was extremely troubled. Number Four had always been obedient-she could say it was the most docile and worry-free of all her Experimental Subjects, never as restless as today.

“Number Four.”

She took off her gloves and walked to the glass, pressing her palm against it.

The Jellyfish immediately contracted its bell and floated to her side, its ribbons pressing against her palm through the glass.

“Something very dangerous happened today. It’s still dangerous outside. This one… she saved me, and she saved me twice. Now she’s hurt. Shouldn’t I help her?”

She spoke as if educating a disobedient child, her voice still gentle, but her expression unusually serious, patiently reasoning with him.

The Jellyfish contracted its bell, helplessly rubbing its ribbons against her palm through the glass.

It seemed a bit aggrieved, but with no mouth or eyes, it couldn’t convey its emotions, which only made it more anxious.

“Do you understand?” Tang Rou tapped the glass again.

The Jellyfish stopped moving, floating motionless in front of Tang Rou.

After a while, it contracted its bell and drifted away, as if sulking.

Why had it suddenly become disobedient?

Tang Rou was helpless.

The Mermaid was too badly injured; her simple treatment could only serve as a temporary measure, but she couldn’t guarantee she would survive.

She found a spare wristwatch in the Office drawer and, upon turning it on, immediately dialed Aselan’s number.

She hadn’t expected much, but surprisingly, it connected.

The moment the call went through, Tang Rou heard the other’s delighted voice, “Rou! Is that you? Are you alright?”

Tang Rou asked, “It’s me. Where are you now? Are you still at Hexagonal Plaza?”

“Hexagonal Plaza? No, we were picked up by the Rescue Team about two hours ago.”

Tang Rou was stunned. “Rescue Team?”

“Yes.” Aselan didn’t notice the oddity in Tang Rou’s tone, speaking with the relief of a survivor, “The Rescue Team found us. I thought I was going to die… You have no idea how terrifying the Experimental Subjects in Sector S are.”

Tang Rou interrupted her lament, frowning, “Where did you wait for the Rescue Team? Was it at Hexagonal Plaza?”

“Yes, there’s a safe tunnel beneath the plaza… At first, I was so scared when I couldn’t reach you. If they hadn’t told me you were safe, I wouldn’t have dared…”

Vaguely, a thought flashed through Tang Rou’s mind, too quickly for her to grasp.

“You said… someone told you I was safe?”

“Yes, the Rescue Team that came over said so. They told me you were safe and I didn’t need to worry. Rou, where are you now?”

Tang Rou pondered, her mind a mess.

“I’m in the Office. Things aren’t looking good. I still have a wounded person here.” She asked again, “Is the situation outside under control now?”

“Not yet. We’ve already been evacuated.” Aselan also sensed something was wrong. “Office? Are you still in Sector S?!”
Zzz-

The sound of electric current suddenly interfered with the call.

Tang Rou looked at her watch, which had lost signal, and felt a chill run inexplicably down her spine.

Was it just poor reception, or had someone deliberately cut off her signal?

Turning around, she saw that the Mermaid had woken up at some point, her jewel-like eyes silently watching Tang Rou from behind.

There was no electricity, so the lights were off. The room was dim, and the Mermaid’s cold, delicate face was illuminated by the glass water wall, like a spirit hiding in the shadows.

He glanced around the unfamiliar room with a hint of scrutiny, from the soft sofa to the desk littered with scattered documents, then to the glass wall where Jellyfish were already floating. His platinum-silver eyes were like inorganic gemstones, flickering with faint shards of light.

Those eyes shifted to his own lower body.

His torn tail had been wrapped in layer upon layer of gauze, looking somewhat clumsy, as if dragging a white cocoon.

Seeing the Mermaid tilt his head in confusion at the bandages, Tang Rou felt a bit embarrassed.

It really didn’t look very good.

Yet, for some reason, it made the long-haired beauty resemble a butterfly breaking out of its cocoon, ready to emerge and flutter away at any moment.

“You’re awake?”

A gentle female voice sounded not far away, breaking his deep contemplation.

Tang Rou squatted down in front of him, showing a friendly expression. “Does it still hurt?”

Legend had it that a Mermaid’s energy came entirely from their tail. If the tail was injured, they would become very vulnerable.

But that was only a legend. As for him… Tang Rou thought that even when his tail wasn’t injured, he probably still looked very fragile.

The Mermaid raised his eyes to gaze into hers, his look clear, as if trying to see through her soul.

After a moment, his lashes drooped listlessly, his mood seeming low. He gently swayed his tail, but Tang Rou stopped him. “Don’t move. I’ve applied medicine. Give it more time to heal.”

He didn’t seem to like being restrained.

Whether it was weakness or unhappiness, his spirits were very poor.

Tang Rou pulled the medical kit over and sat down on the floor beside him.

“Lift your hair.”

He looked up in confusion, until she explained, “Your injection marks… You looked like you were in a lot of pain earlier. It’s best to apply some medicine.”

So that was it. The Mermaid understood, and obediently lifted his damp long hair, revealing his slender, luminous neck.

Faint blue veins stood out beneath his glowing skin, outlining gentle contours. The injection marks were scattered across his delicate, pale skin, giving a sense of torment, yet somehow adding a touch of allure.

Tang Rou wasn’t a pervert, nor did she have any special preferences. Patiently, she used a cotton swab soaked in disinfectant to clean the pitiful red marks, then began to apply ointment.

He was fairly cooperative, though silent, his demeanor very docile.

His ears were much sharper than a human’s, extending outward into translucent, crystalline wing-like fins, their edges shimmering with a mysterious blue, reminiscent of elves from Western mythology.

But Mermaids themselves belonged to the realm of fantasy.

Tang Rou focused on applying the ointment. It had already melted under her fingertips, spreading over the Mermaid’s collarbone, which was slightly cooler than human skin. There were many reddened injection marks there, the needle gauge not small, looking rather rough and leaving indelible scars on his skin.

Tang Rou gently blew on them, treating him as she would her Experimental Subject. “Does it hurt?”

For a moment, the Mermaid showed a strange expression. He pressed his lips together, lowered his thick lashes, his gaze falling on her fingers, full of confusion and innocence, his look deeply restrained.

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